There’s a lot of uncertainty and stress when a senior is reacclimating to life back at home following a hospital stay. It can be difficult for them to keep up with complex discharge instructions, new prescriptions, and follow-up appointments. Without a proper care plan in place, there’s a high likelihood they’ll be readmitted to the hospital. However, as their family member, you may not have time to devote to overseeing their care.

Visiting Angels Jasper offers transitional care services through our Ready, Set, Go Home program to help older adults navigate this delicate phase of recovery.

What is Transitional Care?

Transitional care provides the necessary non-medical support to help with the many adjustments that take place when returning home after surgery, illness, or rehabilitation. According to a study, close to 20 percent of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Fortunately seniors can avoid many of these events, provided they’re given the appropriate assistance.

If you’re concerned about your aging loved one encountering complications following a hospital or rehab facility stay, consider partnering with Visiting Angels for their transitional care needs. We can help ensure your family member has a successful recovery so that they continue living independently at home in Jasper.

Read more about home care and how seniors aging in place in Jasper can benefit from our services.

Benefits for Jasper Locals

Transitional care can sound vague if you aren’t too familiar with what that is and how it can benefit your family. In addition to having a trusted partner in your loved one’s care, Visiting Angels offers the benefit of assisting throughout the entire process of preparing for and being discharged and returning home for recovery– however long that may be.

Navigating the Discharge Process

Transitional care starts before the senior has even left the hospital. Your senior loved one will meet with a care coordinator from Visiting Angels Jasper to discuss their personal set of requirements and start developing a customized transitional care plan.

Start prepping now! Read one of our past blog articles that includes questions to ask during a hospital discharge: Plan a Smooth Hospital Discharge and Return Home for Seniors.

Improved Adherence to Discharge Instructions

It’s not easy for seniors to keep up with after care on their own. Even with family support, discharge instructions may fall through the cracks, leading to mishaps. Their caregiver will gladly take on medication management, mobility assistance, care coordination, and transportation to doctor’s appointments, along with continuously monitoring their condition. If any changes take place, you can rest assured that their caregiver will immediately contact both you and their medical team.

Support for Activities of Daily Living

Your relative should be solely focused on healing after returning home. Our caregivers can assist with essential personal and household tasks so the senior is able to fully rest and recuperate. This may include helping with mobility and transfers, performing light chores, cooking meals, and providing dignified hygiene assistance.

Visiting Angels can provide support to your loved one following a stroke. See an example of how we keep seniors safe at home.

Enhanced Quality of Life

Seniors often experience feelings of loneliness and isolation when they’ve been sick for a period of time. Their Visiting Angels caregiver will be there to lend both a helping hand and a listening ear. Care professionals offer upbeat conversation and companionship to boost seniors’ emotional health, which can have a significant effect on their physical health as well.

Discover how we assist Jasper seniors to safely age in place through developing close relationships with our clients.

Our Approach to Home Care

At Visiting Angels Jasper, each of our care professionals undergoes a rigorous background check prior to being hired. We want to be sure they’re highly-qualified, but also that they exhibit strong moral character. Compassion, integrity, respect, and patience are all essential criteria for becoming an Angel. Once employed with us, our team members receive ample training to ensure they can attend to a wide range of senior needs.

Learn more about our care team for the Jasper area.

Personalized Care Plans

Whether your senior loved one has just undergone surgery, lives with a chronic health issue, or recently experienced an illness, their care plan will be personalized to reflect their situation.

Our full, comprehensive list of services provides more detail as to what each service entails, and how they can best be tailored to meet your loved one’s specific circumstances.

FAQs About Transitional Care

What are some common challenges seniors face during the transition from hospital to home?

Seniors often struggle with taking their medications on schedule and understanding and following their doctor’s instructions. Having physical limitations can also keep them from performing tasks as normal, and their emotional health may suffer as a result of the transition. These are just a few examples of challenges they may encounter that transitional care services can help mitigate.

What services are included in transitional care?

Since transitional care is completely personalized to the senior, services vary from person to person. Popular options include help with hygiene and safe bathing, light housekeeping, assistance with mobility, transportation, healthy meal prep, medication management, and companionship.

What happens to the care plan if a senior’s needs change?

Care plans remain flexible, and can be altered at any point to reflect the person’s condition. Their caregiver will keep an open line of communication with your family to discuss any necessary changes.

How long do transitional care services typically last?

Care typically lasts for the first 30 days following discharge, but can be extended, based on your family member’s needs.

View more frequently asked home care questions and answers here.

Contact Us to Learn More

Visiting Angels Jasper offers resources to make recovery easier and more manageable for seniors and their families. Contact us to learn more about the many ways transitional care can assist your relative post-hospital stay. We can also set up a free, initial consultation to evaluate your senior loved one’s needs.

Reach out to Visiting Angels today via our contact form or by calling 205-388-9353.

Ready, Set, Go Home Transitional Care Program Available In:

Arley, AL; Bremen, AL; Cordova, AL; Empire, AL; Houston, AL; Jasper, AL

Local Medical and Nursing Facilities Near Jasper, Alabama

• Walker Baptist Medical Center
• Ridgeview Health Services
• Walker Rehabilitation Center
• Encore Rehabilitation - Jasper